


Land Of

by Bright_Elen



Category: Old Kingdom - Garth Nix, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Old Kingdom Fusion, M/M, POV Bodhi Rook, Psychological Trauma, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 09:06:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12105357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bright_Elen/pseuds/Bright_Elen
Summary: Bodhi, much to his surprise, woke up alive.





	Land Of

One thing Bodhi didn’t expect to be a hazard in the air was a flock of dead ravens. He was pretty sure they were dead, even though they were flying, because of the stench, for one, and because of the way bits of them would break off and fall to earth as they harried his plane. Dead anything moving on its own shouldn’t have been possible, but there they were. Soon they’d torn up the wings enough to send Bodhi into a barely-controlled fall, and it was only through long experience and a bit of luck that he survived the landing.

After he climbed out of the wreckage, he started running, because some huge, dark  _thing_ lumbered out of the underbrush and pursued him. He didn’t know what it was, only that it had an excess of sickeningly flexible limbs.

It caught him and entangled him in its writhing mass, and when two tendrils touched his temples, it felt like his mind was being split open. Thankfully, he blacked out.

When he came to the monster was gone and he was surrounded by rushing water. A strong arm was wrapped around his chest, and whoever had him was pulling him somewhere.

“We’re almost to the bridge,” a low, accented voice rumbled near Bodhi’s ear. “Almost there.”

Fingers tightening on his rescuer’s arm, Bodhi lost consciousness again.

* * *

Bodhi, much to his surprise, woke up alive. Alive and comfortable, more to the point, which made no sense at all. He should be wet, or in pain, or both, but he was on a soft couch under a coverlet. He was wearing someone else’s clothes, and he was clean.

The pilot pulled the blanket closer around his shoulders. It was a deep sapphire with a pattern of silver keys, and quite well-made if showing signs of age. He wondered who had pulled it over him. Had he imagined the man pulling him from the dark water? Or had he imagined the water in the first place? The monster? The plane had been real, he knew that much.

Concentrating, he listened, but heard no voices, no sounds of activity in the next room or the next or even in a garden or courtyard. There was afternoon light making the wood-paneled walls glow, and the well-muffle sound of falling water, and the furniture. It had been a long time since Bodhi had felt such solitude.

He looked around the room, trying to figure out where he was. Its age and style made him think of the old library he’d visited in Corvere, but it was furnished more like someone’s home. He started wondering if he should get up and go looking for food and water, or maybe just leave. Better rude than dead.

“Oh, you’re awake,” said a strange voice behind him, and Bodhi nearly fell off the sofa in his startlement. Then he had to wonder if he was dreaming, because the voice belonged to a towering iron-black automaton with eyes glowing like Edison lamps. 

“Is your mind damaged?” the creature asked curiously.

Bodhi swallowed. “I don’t think so…”

“Are you sure?” the automaton continued, examining Bodhi critically. “Hearing any voices? Feeling any strange compulsions? Seeing things that aren’t there?  _Show me_ ,” he said, and the last words resonated powerfully in Bodhi’s head.

The thing slithered its horrible limbs up Bodhi’s body. He clawed at the tentacles, breathing heavily, desperate to escape.

He came back to himself with his back against the far wall, the blanket tangled on the floor.

“I thought so,” the automaton concluded. “Hardly anyone makes it back from the Fifth Precinct at all. You there too long not to be changed. I wouldn’t worry too much,” he continued. “Humans are surprisingly resilient.”

Bodhi stared, heart slowing from panicked to merely frightened. He had too many questions to even begin to ask them all, so he picked one at random and started trying to look for an escape route without looking like he was looking.

“The Fifth Precinct of what?”

The automaton regarded him with his clockwork calm. “Death.”

A chill ran over Bodhi.  _Was_ he really alive? Or was this another precinct of the underworld?

If it was, he could have done worse. In fact, a comfortable if occasionally terrifying afterlife was probably better than he deserved. He swallowed.

“Where is this place?”

“This,” came another voice - human, accented, familiar - “is my house.”

Bodhi’s rescuer appeared in a doorway, a barefoot man with slightly mussed dark hair falling around his face, loose clothes wrinkled from sleep. Bodhi tried very hard not to want him and failed miserably.

Maybe he was just handsome, but maybe it was because his softness was at odds with the gravity in his gaze, a kind person who’d seen too much.

“You’ve met Kay, it seems,” the man said wryly, coming closer. “Apologies for whatever he did to spook you.”

“I only made him show how he’d changed,” the automaton protested. “You needed to know.”

The man sighed and extended a hand. Bodhi took it, unable not to notice its deft strength.

“My name is Cassian Andor. I’m the Abhorsen.”

Suddenly-renewed hope flooded Bodhi’s ability to speak. “Bodhi Rook,” he said, smiling and gripping the Abhorsen’s hand. “I’m the pilot. I brought the message.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title referring to Bush's 'Land of the Living.'
> 
> Kay is Kibeth.
> 
> Possibly maybe to be expanded upon later.
> 
> Say hi here: [bright-elen](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/bright-elen).


End file.
